Like many of you, I was stunned by the events unfolding on Twitter this weekend in reaction to the Iranian election. I had heard little about it from the mainstream media, and it was only when I saw a rapidly escalating number of tweets about it that I learned something had gone horribly wrong with the election results. Watching the reports by students inside Iran who were actively protesting was something that I was heartened to see, although I was also afraid for them as well.

So now I have Iran on my mind. About a month ago, we published a book called CENSORING AN IRANIAN LOVE STORY by Shahriar Mandanipour. I read an excerpt of this several months ago and loved it; I am now determined to read more. Mandanipour was a prominent and controversial author in Iran, and this is his first novel written in English (he now lives in the United States). The novel is written in the form of a manuscript that has been through the Iranian government’s board of censors. Passages are expurgated (lined out in the text) and the story, of a man and woman who cannot appear in public together because of the laws of the country, is written in such a manner that we see not only how difficult it is to carry on a romance, but how impossible it is for one to write about it. Though written as a novel, the truth of the situation comes through the pages in a way that sets the background for the events of the weekend. I am eager to read the rest of this novel.

For those of you who prefer to get an understanding through nonfiction, THE AYATOLLAH BEGS TO DIFFER is a book written from a unique perspective. The author, Hooman Majd, is an American-born grandson of an ayatollah. Majd has spent most of his life traveling back and forth between the U.S. and Iran, and when in Iran he passes for a native-born Iranian. Majd gives us an understanding of the Iranian people and culture that is both critical and appreciative. He obviously loves Iran but sees its faults, and he examines the political landscape through the lens of the many Iranian pasts. The book was published in September, 2008, so it is relatively current. A fierce supporter of former president Khatami, Majd also writes about his successor Ahmadinejad in a way that may provide us with some perspective on the events of this weekend. Reviews on this book have been excellent, and I expect that we will be seeing more of the author on the news shows to analyze the election happenings in Iran.

Lastly, the classic book for understanding the background of modern-day Iran: PERSEPOLIS by Marjane Satrapi. I cannot say enough about this amazing book. Yes, it’s a “graphic novel”, though it is a memoir. Don’t let that put you off. Call it an illustrated memoir if that makes you feel less uneasy about the unfamiliar format. This is simply one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read both in terms of the art and narrative, and in terms of being able to suddenly understand exactly what happened in Iran and the impact that those events had on individuals, on families, on children, and on the world.

I hope that one or all of these books give you the information you may be looking for. Me, I’m going to go read, monitoring Twitter between chapters to see what is happening in the moment.

If you have other recommended books on the topic, please leave it in the comments. I’d love to have a comprehensive reading list.

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